FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 October 2020
Introduction
On Monday, 5 October 2020, 1056 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 356 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 664 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1056
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (664)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (112)
Where the complaints came from
The 1056 complaints recorded on 5 October 2020 were submitted from 701 cities across 52 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 112 | 10.6% |
| Texas | 98 | 9.3% |
| New York | 77 | 7.3% |
| Florida | 73 | 6.9% |
| Michigan | 47 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 39 | 3.7% |
| Ohio | 36 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 35 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 34 | 3.2% |
| Colorado | 32 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 471 | 44.6% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 80 different cities.
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 795 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 795 | 75.3% |
| Internet | 159 | 15.1% |
| TV | 88 | 8.3% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
795 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 664 | 83.5% |
| Billing | 42 | 5.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 36 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 19 | 2.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 0.4% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
159 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 76 | 47.8% |
| Billing | 46 | 28.9% |
| Speed | 17 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 9 | 5.7% |
| Interference | 7 | 4.4% |
| Privacy | 4 | 2.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 36.4% |
| Availability | 28 | 31.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 14 | 15.9% |
| Equipment | 6 | 6.8% |
| Indecency | 6 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 664 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 62.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 10 | 1.5% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (520) 231-0050 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (747) 758-3691 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (219) 356-0787 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (336) 281-5928 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (360) 526-0514 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (508) 257-1232 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (315) 232-8257 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
The information presented on this page is based on consumer complaint data submitted to regulatory authorities. References to telephone numbers reflect reports made by consumers and do not confirm ownership, authenticity, or that the number was genuinely associated with the call. Caller ID information may be inaccurate or subject to spoofing.
Complaint categories, dates and complainant locations are based on the source records and may contain incomplete, approximate or user-entered information. Location details refer to the complainant’s reported location, not the location of the caller or telephone number. This content is provided for informational purposes only.